India braces for mass protests against price rises

NEW DELHI: India's embattled government braced on Thursday for nationwide protests against inflation and fuel price hikes, with organisers predicting a million-plus turnout. Annual inflation accelerated to a higher-than-expected 9.06 per cent in May, from 8.66 per cent the previous month, heaping misery on hundreds of millions of India's poor and piling pressure on the government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described inflation as a "serious" threat to India's growth, and his cabinet has been racing to boost vegetable and other supplies to bring down food prices. Thursday's protests were being organised by the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), which is affiliated to Singh's ruling Congress party but has joined forces with other unions to pressure the authorities. "We are observing a protest day in front of government directorates, offices of commissioners...